Coffee, donuts new weapons in cops' arsenal to improve community relations

Photographs by JASON CLARK / COURIER & PRESS
Evansville Police Sgt. Jason Cullum serves coffee Tuesday morning to a customer in the drive-thru during the first "Coffee with a Cop" community relations program at the Donut Bank Bakery & Coffee Shop on Lincoln Avenue in Evansville.

JASON CLARK / COURIER & PRESS
Evansville Assistant Police Chief Chris Pugh, right, speaks with Spencer County resident Tony Broerman during the first "Coffee with a Cop" community relations program at the Donut Bank Bakery & Coffee Shop on Lincoln Ave., in Evansville Tuesday. Area residents had an opportunity to speak with Evansville Police Department officers about public safety issues in a casual environment Tuesday.

It was all part of the first "Coffee with a Cop" promotion — which the department plans to make a monthly occurrence — aimed at engaging the community while in a laid-back, approachable setting.

"The key to any relationship is getting to know people. When you don't know somebody, you might not trust them, you may not like them," Bolin said. "But once you start building that relationship it breaks down those barriers, and that's what we're hoping to start with this."

Bolin said improving community relations is "absolutely" a goal of the department. While he said he believes the department has worked hard to achieve that, there's still much to do in that area, He cited the longtime relationships many of the city's neighborhood associations have with individual officers as a model for the entire department.

"When you go to the neighborhood groups, those people love their officers, and they know them great," Bolin said. "That was a good start years before me, and we just need to build on that."

While some people spent time discussing specific problems or concerns during the session, others just wanted to introduce themselves or say thanks. Police officials ended up staying an extra 90 minutes past the event's 9 a.m. scheduled end time because of its popularity, according to Sgt. Jason Cullum, a police department spokesman.

Chris Kempf, Donut Bank's president, said he jumped at the opportunity at providing a venue for the program, which will rotate among the Donut Bank's other locations as well.

"I think it is a great idea to be this approachable," Kempf said about the program, which has been dubbed as "Coffee with a Cop."

Just like it did Tuesday, the Donut Bank will provide in-restaurant coffee to customers during future events, Kempf said.

Cullum said next month's session will be Feb. 19 at the Donut Bank on Saint Joseph Avenue.

Bolin said he wants people to always feel free to approach officers out in public even if it's simply to say hello.

"They see us in gas stations, coffee shops all over town," he said. "A lot of times they don't want to bother us, they don't want to approach us. We may be in the middle of something but ... we want you to talk to us, we want you to approach us, and we want you to get to know us."